The summer season is fast approaching for the 麻豆社国产Pirates swim club and coaches Allyson Corbett and Jim Campbell expect a fun summer for all who choose to hit the pool.
It's the fourth season at the Pirates' helm for Corbett, who will graduate later this month from the University of British Columbia with a degree in human kinetics. Corbett said the Pirates hope to build on a solid year last year.
"I'm really excited for the summer season," she said. "We've got a great group of kids and I know last summer was pretty good for us. There was a great turnout for the winter and we certainly hope to continue that this summer."
Corbett has spent six years coaching in the British Columbia Summer Swimming Association (BCSSA) and she's literally grown up in the water. Corbett has been involved with the sport since the age of seven, having competed with the North Shore Winter Club Marlins. She captured several regional and provincial medals during her time with the Marlins and she said she hopes to bring that same love of the sport to the Pirates.
"I bring a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the sport as a coach," she said. "It's all about working together with good people, having fun and trying to improve as the season moves along."
Corbett said two young Pirates to look out for are Eli Chappell and Wyatt Pederson. Chappell placed fourth in his age group in the 50-metre butterfly at last year's provincials in August while Pederson posted the fourth-best time in his age group's 50-metre freestyle.
Campbell is new to the coaching staff for this season, but he's no stranger to competition in the BCSSA. It's the seventh season coaching in the association, having coached four years with the Vancouver Crusaders and three years with the Vancouver Vikings. He hopes the experience will prove to be valuable this summer.
"I'm feeling pretty good about the summer," he said. "It seems like there's a lot of enthusiasm in 麻豆社国产for swimming. I bring a lot of experience to the team and as a coach I want to bring my enthusiasm to the sport to the team."
Like Corbett, Campbell competed with the Marlins when he was younger and then spent time playing high-level junior water polo with the Vancouver-based Pacific Storm before continuing the sport at the University of Victoria.
"My goals for the team this summer is to try and have a lot of fun and we want to get as many people interested in swimming out as possible," he said. "Having fun in swimming comes through achieving new technical and physical goals and to be able to share those achievements with your teammates."
The Pirates will spend most of May training, with the team hosting the first meet of the season at Brennan Park on May 29. The team will then travel to swim meets throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island for the next two months before the regionals and provincials in August.
For more information on the Pirates, visit www.squamishpirates.com.
